【推荐1】Wildlife in New York City tends to be headline news. These animals' admirable ability to live with humans in peace draws our attention and sympathy. Yet, what most New Yorkers don't even know is that another animal, the Quaker Parrot, has invaded (入侵) the city with surprising results.

Quaker parrots originally came from the mild regions of Argentina and Brazil. The details related to the birds' arrival to the U. S. have become a thing of legend. During the 1960s, workers at JFK International Airport reported that the parrots—then products of the pet trade—escaped from broken shipping trunks (箱子). Others say the birds escaped from their homes or were intentionally released by their owners, some of whom may have been unprepared to deal with the birds' unpleasant screams. Either way, the birds have now infiltrated (渗透) all five districts in New York within the last five years. They've also expanded into the lower Hudson Valley and major cities around the U. S.

Each bird is born knowing how to build a nest, although this skill is adjusted slightly with age and experience. The birds use their soft feet to build these free-standing nests in between tree forks. Nest structures can grow to the size of a refrigerator, housing up to 200 pairs of birds. Each nest can weigh more than a ton.

Unfortunately, these parrots' unique habit of building nests on public facilities can cause their homes to catch fire, taking down the electrical network. Con Edison, New York City's energy services company, realized about 14 years ago that these nests were behind a series of Power outages (停电) in Brooklyn. So the company partners with wildlife specialists to carefully remove nests from dangerous areas before they become a security risk.

Despite the challenges these parrots present for the public, they are one of the few invasive species stories with a fairly happy outcome. The parrots seem to pose no risk of overpopulating the neighborhood or outcompeting native species for food. And public service corporations arrange special teams to keep equipment free from birds, and the parrots have become a largely welcomed addition to New York's wildlife scene.

1. What do we know about Quaker parrots according to the passage?

A．They have charming voices.	B．They are from South America.
C．They are only active in New York.	D．Their nests look like a refrigerator.

2. What's special about Quaker parrots?

A．Size.	B．Screams.
C．Popularity.	D．Nest building.

3. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The birds are welcome.	B．The birds need protection.
C．The birds are in danger.	D．The birds are trouble makers.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Magical Birds' Nest.	B．Prefer Jungle to Buildings?
C．Parrots Living in Urban Jungle.	D．Help Parrots Survive in Cities?

【推荐2】The animal kingdom is full of beautiful and attractive creatures, and it is inviting to purchase exotic animals and call them pets. But undomesticated(未驯化的) pets may affect the health and safety of both the animals and the people who keep them.

The umbrella cockatoo, for instance, is a type of parrot, which can live up to seventy years. It is often purchased as an exotic pet. It requires a very large living place and a great deal of attention. When its specific needs are unmet, the bird commonly bites itself or becomes aggressive. Similarly, the ball python one of the most popular pet snakes, requires special conditions to survive. Like the umbrella cockatoo, the snake's long lifespan—up to forty years—presents serious practical challenges to any owner, no matter how devoted.

Exotic pet owners are most likely identified as animal lovers who purchased their animals in order to feel a deep connection to the natural world. However, the mere ownership of such an animal means it's probable that the person participated in the illegal trade. This trade—the capture and sale of wild animals——is often cruel to species. Countless animals suffer and die each year.

The problems continue when exotic pets are sold to non-professional owners. When they find they cannot care for them, owners take their exotic pets into the wild and abandon them, as proved by the case of Burmese pythons in Florida. This non-native species multiplied quickly seriously threatening the Florida ecosystem. Also , exotic pets pose a danger to their owners: some emerging infectious diseases, which thousands of people per year are stricken with, and especially occurred in children.

Wild animals are undoubtedly attracting, but they should be admired in their own natural environments. Penning animals as exotic pets harms their quality of life. Pet ownership of any kind is a serious responsibility, and that's why animal lovers should choose domesticated animals that will Boom under the care of humans.

1. What can we infer about exotic pets in paragraph 2?

A．They can live longest in the animal kingdom.

B．They need professional care from the owner.

C．They require special training from their owner.

D．They can’t have a satisfying life under human care.

2. Why are people absorbed in keeping exotic animals?

A．To get high income.

B．To build a bond with nature,

C．To help prevent illegal pet trades.

D．To make exotic pets' life comfortable.

3. What can raising exotic pets at will result in?

A．Improving the native ecosystem.

B．Increasing the number of rare species.

C．Losing control of illegal wildlife trading.

D．Putting humans and exotic wildlife at risk.

4. What's the main argument of the passage?

A．Wild animals are more dangerous than ordinary pets.

B．It's inappropriate to keep undomesticated exotic pets.

C．Exotic pets should be kept in better conditions.

D．Rules of the exotic pet trade should be updated.

【推荐3】When I was a child, I often saw my Grandma throwing bread that was no longer fresh to birds. Not surprisingly, this attracted few birds. Later on, we discovered bird food at the local store. Feeding garden birds in the UK has come a long way since then. Today, the birds can enjoy many kinds of food: from plant seeds to sunflower hearts and from cakes to meat balls. All this comes at a huge cost of about £200m a year. Sometimes, I wonder if we might be feeding our garden birds better than our kids. But maybe it’s worth it. Our generosity is having an important effect on the behavior and even evolution of these birds.

Take the goldfinch for example. In the 1960s, this was a rare bird. Today, goldfinches can be seen in many gardens. Other new visitors include the spotted woodpecker, which has left its usual woodland for food on bird tables. Evolution is meant to progress slowly: over thousands of years. Yet during the past few decades, the beaks of many kinds of birds have become longer because birds with longer beaks can get more food, and then are more likely to live on.

Is bird feeding completely good for birds? Not everyone thinks so. Studies by the Zoological Society of London have shown that by bringing together many birds, bird feeders may help the spread of disease. In Australia, some bird experts believe—probably wrongly—that bird feeding creates a “dependence culture”.

But we shouldn’t forget one major benefit of feeding garden birds—it connects millions of people to the natural world. This is especially important for people who seldom reach the wider countryside. As I write this, there comes some noise outside my window: several birds were singing and flying around in my garden. It’s a sight I could only imagine years ago, when feeding garden birds just meant throwing hard bread to them.

1. What does the author mean by saying the underlined part in Paragraph 1?

A．Feeding garden birds is a huge waste of money.

B．We spend quite a lot of money on the food of garden birds.

C．We should care more for our kids rather than garden birds.

D．Feeding garden birds can bring more joy than feeding kids.

2. Which is the reason behind the fact that many birds’ beaks become longer?

A．These birds have given up traditional woodland.

B．Food for these birds becomes richer and better.

C．Longer beaks mean more chances of survival.

D．These birds grow faster than ever before.

3. What do some bird experts in Australia think of bird feeding?

A．It is completely good for birds.

B．It may help the spread of disease.

C．It connects more and more people to the natural world.

D．It may reduce birds’ ability to find food by themselves.

4. How does the author feel when he hears bird noise outside his window?

A．Annoyed.

B．Pleased.

C．Surprised.

D．Bored.

【推荐1】Have you ever heard of the Coral Sea? It is home to an amazing variety of turtles, sharks, whales, dolphins, large fish, birds, corals, plants, and many other species. Many of these species are endangered elsewhere in the world, but still survive in the healthy environment of the Coral Sea.

The Coral Sea is a large series of coral reefs located off the northeast coast of Australia. This area is three times larger than Australia’s famous Great Barrier Reef, which the Coral Sea borders.

The Coral Sea is one of the few coral reef environments that have remained largely undamaged by over-fishing, oil and gas exploration and pollution. However, statistics show that coral reefs around the world are disappearing five times faster than rainforests. It is very likely that in the near future the Coral Sea will face the same threats to its existence.

The Australian government is currently looking at options for protecting the Coral Sea but has made no decisions. Environmentalists are pushing for laws to declare the Coral Sea area a marine protected area, which will mean a large “no-take zone” for fishermen, a no-exploration zone for gas and oil companies and a no-dump zone for pollution, possibly making the Coral Sea a marine park larger than any other in the world.

We can write letters to Australian leaders, Australian environmental protection agencies, and Australian friends, to let them know that people worldwide support this protection of the Coral Sea. To lose this last great marine wilderness world would be a loss for the whole world.

1. According to the passage, why should we protect the Coral Sea without any delay?

A．Because the Coral Sea, home to many species, will disappear soon.

B．Because the Coral Sea is rich in natural resources like oil and gas.

C．Because the Coral Sea is three times larger than Great Barrier Reef.

D．Because the Coral Sea will be a marine park larger than any other in the world.

2. Once the Coral Sea area is declared n marine protected area by law,       .

A．it will surely become the largest marine park all over the world

B．no one will be allowed to there to have a dose look any more

C．from time to time people can still dump their rubbish around there

D．over-fishing, oil and gas exploration will be banned altogether there

3. What is the attitude of the author towards the protection of the Coral Sea?

A．Objective.

B．Favorable.

C．Doubtful.

D．Negative.

【推荐2】The earth is dying before us, yet we sit and watch. If the TV or the game system breaks, we run off to the stores to get it fixed immediately no matter what the cost. Why aren’t we willing to fix our earth? Are our televisions and game systems more important to us than where we live? Where shall we continue to live, until the end of time?

The earth is our home and cannot be replaced. We must take care of it. We have come up with so much technology that limits us instead of helping us. Take that game system we run to repair. What does it do? It occupies kids’ time! The earth has already given kids plenty of entertainment in the forms of fields and hills, forests and plains, water and land. However, instead of using what the earth has given us, and helping kids by giving them exercise as they run around, we decide to ruin kids’ minds with game systems that glue them to the screen for hours, and make them ignore their homework and chores. We have polluted this earth by making these things which do not even help in any way!

We have already messed up this world, we have ruined the air, water, and animals that it has so willingly provided for us. We need to stop this destruction of life and bring back the world we had before. It will not be easy, but everybody can help! What about something as simple as turning the lights off when you leave a room? Recycling what can be recycled? Picking up litter? Donating money to an environmental organization? None of these things are very hard. We can’t just always say, “Oh, the earth is a mess. Ah, well, those big companies that are polluting so much can stop and fix it.” Instead, we need to help out. It’s not only those big companies; it’s everyday things that we do too that are ruining the earth. So, stop and think about what you can do to make a difference to our world!

1. Why does the author mention televisions and game systems in Paragraph 1?

A．To make people better aware of the urgency to the protection of the earth.

B．To explore the great harm done to the earth by too much technology waste.

C．To show the relationship between overuse of those things with early death.

D．To remind people to spend less on them and use the saved money in a wiser way.

2. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that the author________

A．thinks we must take care of our irreplaceable home—the earth.

B．thinks running around in fields occupies too much of kids’ time.

C．takes an extremely negative attitude to things like game systems.

D．takes it for granted that technology gives kids plenty of entertainment.

3. What does the underlined word “glue” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．return	B．attract
C．attach	D．stick

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To criticize those big companies that ruin the earth.

B．To ask people to save kids from the harm done by pollution.

C．To give kids plenty of entertainment in a clean environment.

D．To call on people to stop ruining the earth.